Traditional Armenian Lavash Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lavash bread is a soft, thin flatbread of Armenian origin which is popular in countries like Iran, Turkey and Lebanon. Traditionally, this bread is baked in clay ovens dug in the ground. It is very thin, delicate and flexible. It is a fantastic bread to use for bread wraps. The beauty of this bread lies in its simplicity as it has only 3 ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

(1) 195 Grams All Purpose Flour (1-1/2 Cups) (See Note 1)

(2) 1/2 Cup Warm Water

(3) 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

NOTES:

(1) For better stretch during rolling, use bread flour in place of  all purpose flour.

PROCEDURE:

(1) Dissolve the salt in the warm water.

(2) Place the flour in a large bowl, add the water and salt mixture to the flour and knead until a smooth dough forms. This takes less than 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Cover the bowl with cling film and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes. This will help the dough relax which in turn will make rolling it easy.

(3) After 30 minutes, knead the dough again. You will notice that the dough will be smoother now. Divide the dough into 8 portions and roll each portion into a small ball. For even portions, weigh your dough before dividing. Each portion should weigh about 40 grams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Place a griddle or frying pan on fire and heat it until it gets very hot. Reduce the heat to medium and leave the pan on fire. Also have a cup of cold water on stand by.

(5) Working with one ball at a time, dab the dough in some flour and roll it out seam side down using a rolling pin. You want the dough to be as thin as possible (Paper thin).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6) Bake the dough in the hot pan for 40 seconds on one side or until you notice white spots on the top of the dough. Flip the dough over and bake it on the other side for 30 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7) Take the bread off the pan and sprinkle some cold water on it. Place the bread in a covered container. The water and steam from the bread in a covered container is what is going to make the bread soft. Stack the breads on each other as you bake them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIP: For speed, while one bread is baking, roll out the next bread and keep on this way until all the dough has been used.

(8) This flatbread can be used immediately it is made. It can also be frozen for future use. Simply roll the bread and store in ziploc bags in the freezer. Thaw the bread in a microwave oven before using.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BONUS RECIPE:

For another flatbread recipe, do check out this Flour Tortilla Recipe.